Translator: Dreamscribe

The Golden Alliance and the Legion of Erosion clashed.

The Legion of Erosion moved like puppets devoid of reason, swinging their weapons. Whether thrusting with spears or slashing with swords, their attacks were basic, but the sheer number made them incredibly powerful.

That was why they were a legion.

[Magic Barrier: 45%]

The longer the Legion of Erosion remained in Arsilan, the more the Magic Barrier’s cracks widened. As if the Lord of Erosion understood that, it was deliberately dragging out time.

The situation on the battlefield was not good.

Tens of thousands of Heroes and more than tens of thousands in the Legion of Erosion became entangled in chaotic combat. The number of Heroes was rapidly dwindling. And it wasn’t just the Heroes who were dying.

“Urgh!”

An elf turned into particles of light and vanished. The Heroes rushed in to save them, but soldiers of Erosion surged in from all directions. Beastkin impaled by spears and blades collapsed one by one.

When the Lord of Erosion swung a massive sword, elves mounted on Elkins fell, and nearby citizens of Arsilan were flung away.

“You bastards!”

“Uaaah!”

The Heroes roared in fury as they charged at the enemies.

"Ack!"

“Thomson ssi!”

Haebyul clenched her teeth. She quickly nocked and loosed multiple arrows, firing Spirit Arrows. She stabbed a dagger into a soldier of Erosion rushing from behind and rolled along the ground.

Spears and blades swept past where she had just been.

“Mia!”

Mia, who had torn apart soldiers of Erosion with her sharp claws, ran toward Haebyul. Haebyul leapt and mounted Mia without hesitation.

[Magic Barrier: 42%]

A massive shadow rippled on the Magic Barrier. It was a gigantic finger. It gripped and tried to tear the Magic Barrier apart. If the barrier’s integrity dropped further, it felt as though that being would rip through it, descend upon Arsilan, and corrupt everything.

“Run!”

Haebyul rode Mia toward Thomson.

“Grab him!”

“Ugh!”

She reached out to Thomson and barely managed to lift him onto Mia.

-This is insane.

-Is this war?

-So terrifying.

-Surrounded on all sides. Watch your back!

-Please…

It was a devastating war.

Haebyul withdrew from that spot and moved to the rear, setting Thomson down.

"K-kheuk! If I die, will you protect my heart? My heart is so big it would be hard to carry."

“Don’t say things like that. You still have to enhance my weapon.”

“Hehe! When this is over, I’ll do it once for free.”

“Ha. You stingy man.”

Haebyul quickly nocked another arrow and fired forward.

The approaching soldier of Erosion took the arrow to the face, and its head fell clean off.

Haebyul looked toward the Lord of Erosion.

Heina, Garsha, Northern Grand Duke, and LifeHunter, along with other Heroes, were confronting the Lord of Erosion. Every time the giant sword was swung, black energy exploded out, splitting the ground apart.

Boom!

As the sword struck the ground, it devastated the surroundings and shredded everything. Heina enveloped her blade in aura and clashed swords with the Lord of Erosion.

“Urgh!”

Heina’s body was sent flying through the air. While spinning midair, she landed and immediately fired off a sword energy.

[It’s useless.]

The Lord of Erosion raised his hand, caught the sword energy, and deflected it sideways. Even the most powerful citizens of Arsilan and the highest-level Heroes could only barely halt the Lord of Erosion’s advance.

The Northern Grand Duke rolled on the ground to dodge the black sword energy.

“I can see the pattern now…!”

The Lord of Erosion was a superior version of a Death Knight.

Its techniques weren’t vastly different, so they were gradually getting used to its attacks. Experience from Lunatie was proving to be very helpful. The only problem was the overwhelming number of soldiers of Erosion surrounding them.

Rrraaargh!

Garsha took Northern Grand Duke in her mouth and jumped away from that position.

Haebyul charged toward the Northern Grand Duke’s direction riding Mia. From atop Mia, she fired Spirit Arrows, piercing through the approaching soldiers of Erosion.

[Magic Barrier: 39%]

The sky turned an even deeper red.

The Lord of Erosion raised his greatsword high.

[Be engulfed by Erosion and fall into corruption!]

A black current exploded, shaking the surroundings. He swung the raised sword toward the Heroes.

Heina tried to block it with all her strength, wrapped in aura, but she was swept away, sent flying, and rolled across the ground.

"Captain Heina!"

“Damn it…!”

Haebyul and the Northern Grand Duke pushed back the incoming enemies and rushed toward her.

Heina tried to rise, but coughed up blood and fell to her knees on the ground. Haebyul ran to support her, and the Northern Grand Duke fended off the approaching soldiers of Erosion.

-Uaaaahhhh!

-No!

-Fuck, what is this… why is it so realistic?!

Haebyul couldn’t even register the chat window anymore.

In such a harrowing war, there was no room to notice such things.

“Ah…”

Elves and Dwarves scattered into particles of light, and Luceren, Garsha, and the Heroes were struggling to fend off the surging enemies.

Tia, wounded, was resisting with great difficulty.

[Magic Barrier: 35%]

The percentage of the Magic Barrier continued to fall.

The situation was rushing toward despair, but no one retreated; everyone resisted with all their strength.

That desperate resistance made Haebyul’s body tremble.

“……”

Evanth, filled with memories, was being shattered and engulfed in flames.

The joy of her first memories still made her heart flutter. She had even chuckled to herself at night, smiling in bed.

But seeing those precious bonds disappear was unbearably painful. Tears kept flowing; her heart ached so much it hurt to breathe.

“Fucking hell… this pisses me off.”

Haebyul glared at the Legion of Erosion through her falling tears.

She was devastated, and at the same time, furious beyond reason.

She wanted to kill that damned Erosion right now.

She wanted to toy with it.

She wanted to punish it.

She wanted to unleash every brutal act she knew upon it.

“Haha…”

Heina, being supported by her, laughed. Haebyul turned her head to look at her. It was only then that Haebyul realized she had cursed out loud.

“Quite the fine profanity. Haebyul, you are already a worthy Arsilanian.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t forget that feeling. Overcome sorrow with rage, and stuff calmness into your heart. That's what you need to do on the battlefield."

Heina struggled to raise her sword.

Those who had fallen wounded began to stagger to their feet, one by one, grabbing their weapons.

They couldn’t stop here.

They wanted to see the scene Heina had spoken of.

With strength, Haebyul drew back her bowstring.

The Heroes were all thinking the same thing. Looking at the black tide of enemies rushing in, not a single one of them considered defeat. Carrying the hearts of the fallen, they simply wanted to press forward beyond that darkness.

“Fuck! We don’t have time to just sit around here!”

Haebyul shouted.

“Uaaaah!”

"You fucking bastards! Come on! Bring it!”

The Heroes responded to her with their own roars.

The Northern Grand Duke gritted her teeth and steeled her resolve, and LifeHunter, Jam-sik, and all the nearby Heroes clenched their jaws and stared forward.

“Raaah!”

“Let’s go again!”

Heina gripped the hilt of her sword at the Heroes’ cries. The Heroes stood before her, forming a line to protect her. Seeing that, Heina’s eyes widened slightly.

‘My lord… perhaps we really might see that land again. These people… they are truly Heroes. Remarkable.’

Smiling as she watched their backs, Heina spoke.

“Advance! All we have to do is get past them!”

She shouted and raised her sword.

Garsha and Luceren, bloodied all over, also wore smiles on their lips. As the Heroes prepared to charge at Erosion once more.

There was light.

Dududududu!

From afar, the sound of pounding hooves struck the ground like crashing waves. Haebyul and the other Heroes turned their heads toward Evanth.

The sky was deeply crimson.

Tainted by the influence of Erosion, it glowed with a dark red hue. Evanth beneath that sky was undeniably in ruins. And yet, amid such devastation, hope burned even brighter.

From Evanth, a wave of light surged like the rising sun.

That light leapt over the walls in an instant.

White horses with golden manes ran through the air. A cavalry numbering in the thousands crossed the wall and descended upon the fields of Evanth.

Their gallop never ceased for a moment.

“Leon nim?”

Leon was charging at the very front.

“It’s Leon nim!”

“Yeah! Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Haebyul and the Heroes brightened at the sight of Leon. As if to respond to their expectations, Leon drew his sword.

“Form up!”

With Leon at the lead, the cavalry formed into a conical formation.

Leon held his sword horizontally. In that moment, the cavalry became a massive sword of light.

Wrapped in golden brilliance, they passed their comrades and charged toward the forces of Erosion. The soldiers of Erosion raised their weapons, but it was meaningless resistance.

“Charge! Wipe them all out!”

Leon leaned forward and lowered his stance. Then, as if a massive hammer had struck them from behind, the cavalry’s speed instantly surged. A shockwave burst forth, disintegrating the soldiers of Erosion directly in their path.

The massive golden sword made of the cavalry clashed with the dense, blackened army of Erosion.

Kwagagaga!

The soldiers of Erosion were shredded apart. Just making contact caused their bodies to disintegrate into black smoke.

[Grrgh! You...!]

The cavalry swept past the Lord of Erosion. The Lord of Erosion staggered, and part of his armor disintegrated.

Without stopping, the cavalry curved and cut through the army of Erosion once more.

As they passed behind the Lord of Erosion, they reached the Heroes. When the cavalry came to a halt, the white horses began to fade and then dissolved into particles of light. At the same time, the Saintess’s light spread out and healed the wounds of the Golden Alliance.

Haebyul looked at Leon, standing right in front of her.

“Hello, Hero.”

“Leon nim...”

Haebyul’s eyes trembled.

Just like that day in the forest when he saved her, Leon stood before her once more. His face still carried that pure, gentle smile. As always, his warm gaze embraced Haebyul and the other Heroes.

But Leon had changed greatly since then.

Back then, he had been an unshakable pillar. He supported from behind but never revealed himself.

Now, he had become a companion who trusted and relied on others, walking alongside them. He felt far closer than he ever did when he addressed the Heroes with formality.

It wasn’t a performance.

It was sincerity, something no acting could fake.

“Hehe.”

As Haebyul smiled, Leon’s eyes curled softly in response.

His expression was full of playful mischief.

“Come to think of it, I’m reminded of the Haebyul Bunny.”

"Uh, aack! Th-that...."

Haebyul twisted in place, clearly embarrassed by the memory of her dark past.

The nearby Heroes burst into laughter. There were few among them who didn’t know the Haebyul Bunny. It had even made it into one of the best clips of Arsilan Worlds.

“Now I’m curious.”

"Hmm, is it like a Horned Rabbit?"

Tia and Heina nodded and turned to Haebyul. The other Arsilanian players followed suit. Haebyul squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

[PleaseWin! has submitted a mission request!]

Show Haebyul Bunny to Leon nim again after this is over

*Mission target amount: 300,000 won

“Ugh! If we can just stop the Erosion, I’ll do anything.”

The mission amount climbed rapidly.

It surpassed five million won in an instant.

-ㅋㅋ you’re gonna have to put on a show when this ends.

-Live Haebyul Bunny in front of 100,000 people ㅋㅋ

-That would be truly legendary.

-You chose the Haebyul Bunny. Accept it.

[Magic Barrier: 29%]

The Magic Barrier shook violently.

But hope was in sight.

The number of soldiers in the Legion of Erosion had clearly decreased, and the Lord of Erosion had suffered serious damage.

More importantly, the Heroes, despite swallowing their rage, were laughing and joking together.

Saintess Airi brought her hands together as she looked toward the Legion of Erosion.

"The power of Goddess Ella resides in the Magic Barrier. Therefore, I can interfere with sacred techniques."

Light radiated from Airi’s body.

“I’ll try to seal the gap as much as I can.”

Saintess Airi severed the connection between the Lord of Erosion and the Magic Barrier.

Leon raised his sword once again.

Particles of light were beginning to drift from his body. As he gripped the sword hilt tightly, the particles of light settled.

The Heroes, seeing that sight, felt themselves waver.

It felt as though he might leave them at any moment. Sensing their hearts, Leon looked at the Heroes.

“I will not go to Ella-nim’s side. I will always remain by your side, Heroes.”

In whatever form that may be.

Leon didn’t speak the latter part aloud.

“Golden Alliance of Arsilan! Advance to the Magic Barrier!”

“For Arsilan!”

“Let’s go!”

Led by Leon, the Golden Alliance charged forward. The Lord of Erosion tried to summon more soldiers, but sacred magic blocked his attempt.

The Heroes and Arsilanians drove the soldiers of Erosion back.

The Legion of Erosion, which had once seemed as though it would never disappear, gradually began to fade away.

Leon clashed with the Lord of Erosion.

Radiating light, he fought the Lord of Erosion on equal terms. The Heroes and Arsilanians supported Leon, attacking the Lord of Erosion together.

The tide of battle had turned.

The Legion of Erosion vanished from Arsilan.

[Heh heh heh!]

The Lord of Erosion’s armor burst apart, and one of his arms had been severed, but he was still laughing wickedly. Even after his leg was removed by Leon’s sword and he collapsed to the ground, he continued.

[It’s useless. I will rise again... I will return. Just as I devoured your kingdom, I will consume all of Arsilan!]

As long as Erosion existed, he would be immortal.

That was the declaration of the Lord of Erosion.

“No, it ends here.”

Leon drew the Holy Sword from within his robes.

The Holy Sword.

Now on the verge of shattering completely, its appearance alone caused the Lord of Erosion to stumble backward. He feared the Holy Sword.

The Lord of Erosion crawled along the ground, desperately trying to reach the Magic Barrier.

“I will avenge the comrades who have fallen.”

At Leon’s words, the Heroes nodded.

That vengeance had to be fulfilled.

That Holy Sword had been kept all this time for this very moment, to destroy the Lord of Erosion.

Just as Leon was about to dash toward the fleeing Lord of Erosion.

[Magic Barrier: 19%]

Grrrrrk!

A massive hand tore through the Magic Barrier. From the shockwave, Saintess Airi and the clerics were blown back.

[Ha, hahaha! This is your defeat! Erosion will consume everything!]

The Magic Barrier began to collapse.

The enormous hand that broke through it reached to rip apart Arsilan. It grew larger by the second.

“W-what is that…?”

“Ah…”

The Heroes stood in stunned silence.

They were a moment too late.

That 1% difference had completely overturned the situation.

The Lord of Erosion fled with a vile smile.

If he stabbed that Holy Sword into the body of the fiend who had destroyed the kingdom, he would vanish completely. But Leon did not pursue the fleeing Lord of Erosion.

Leon turned his head and looked at the Heroes. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Leon raised the Holy Sword.

There was only one path left for him to take.

*****

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